Writing from a concept with Maclayne

Maclayne joined us to talk about writing songs from concepts and her song There You Are. Download the lyrics and chords to follow along. We were treated to a rare live performance by Maclayne!

We talked about:

• Writing lyrics or music first
• The value of deadlines to get songs done
• Revisiting a hook a year later to complete the song with producer James Bryan
• Ecstatic Dancing in Guatemala
• Writing with specific details but still open to listeners seeing themselves in the lyric
• Growing as an independent artist in the face of commercial music

About Maclayne

Maclayne is a Calgary and Toronto-based independent singer-songwriter whose music is as hooky and quirky as it is sincere and moving. A gifted storyteller with a natural ability to connect deeply with her audience, Maclayne delivers relatable folk-pop songs with a voice of striking character and warmth. Her debut album “Off The Deep End” was named one of the year’s best by the Calgary Herald and CBC Calgary. Maclayne was recently nominated for three YYC (Calgary) music awards and is currently recording her sophomore album, set for release in spring 2027.